Why dont quilters have a national organization that monitors their prices and makes them standard like the other crafters?

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I had a guy ask me to make him a quilt, I told him how much it would cost not including labor, he said to forget it...lol

My niece and I made a quilt together and then she went with me to have someone quilt it. She heard the quote and came back out to the car and said she was sorry. I asked what for, she said I did not know it would cost that much. I said I did, but I wanted to do that for you. She is the only one in the family that truly understand the time and cost of making a quilt. Her older sister, still is clueless but thinks that it's not a big deal to make a quilt- simple as pie...she has yet to make one.

Interesting discussion. I live in an area where a lot of Amish and Mennonites spend the winter. I have seen their quilts for sale with prices close to $2000. I was amazed when I first saw them because I had never made a quilt. At the time I thought I would never pay that much for a quilt, but if I made one I would want more. I have never sold one and don't plan to. I don't want to turn my hobby into a job. For those who do sell their quilts, I sincerely hope you can get a fair price for them.

I have found that most people have no clue how time consuming and expensive making quilts is. I also sew other things like clothing and toys and costumes. Most people will help me out on how to sew and what to sew and what to charge; however, those people have never taken up sewing or touched a needle. I have also found that they get a little upset if it is too much money. I'd like to see them try making something. Oh well. live and learn.

If they are local to you you could tell them to go buy the supplies with you and then discuss a labor price that is what I will be doing from now with the exception of the ones I make as gifts to others or donations.

i am refurbishing an old old quilt. it has a lot of tears and really worn areas. i am getting it enough into shape for dispay or folding on the end of abed. we didn't discuss price, i am doing it for barter, i am keeping track of the hours i work on it, and we'll see how much fiddlin' red thinks my time is worth i think he will be very surprised at how much time it takes to work on a quilt.

I made a lap quilt for my MIL. My husband's half brother thought it was spectacular wanted twin quilts for his 3 girls. Said he would pay. I shopped carefully with the girls for fabrics, limiting them to $3.50 per yard and used muslin at $2.49 a yard for the backs. I bought one king batting (was cheaper than 2 twins) and one twin. I split the king and eked out the extra needed width from the extra length in the king. He was very pleased with the finished quilts. He had been a bit taken aback when he got his credit card bill for the materials, however he generously offered to pay me $20 per quilt for making them.

Before I could answer My DH took him out to see the chickens. Upon their return about 30 min latter he forked over $225 and said he appreciated the family discount. When he was gone, I asked my DH what he had said that had so changed his mind. His reply was 2 words........"Minimum wage" . I made several other quilts for his other half-brother's and sisters and because the first had spread the word the family discount was expected. $75 for twin, $100 for full, and $150 for queen.

I have never made a quilt for a stranger but I'm sure the family discount would not apply, it would be at least triple what he insisted I be paid for quilts for his family.

There are two websites that sell home-sewn quilts. They are quiltbrokers.com and quiltsforsale.ca Both sites have low seller fees and commissions. I notice a wide variety of prices for the quilts offered there. My guess is that the piecing experience of the quilter and the quality of the quilting have something to do with what a person is asking for a quilt. I agree with some of the prices, but others seem to be dirt cheap. I would not want any organization regulating me or telling me what I had to charge for my work. As my skills improve and the patterns of the quilts I make become more complex, then I will charge more. I have very few family members and most of my friends are quilters, so I am interested in selling my work, but I don't feel pressured to do so. The discussion here has helped me decide how to price my work.